VIJAYAWADA: Rajya Sabha member KVP Ramachandra Rao has challenged the Chief Minister, Water Resources Minister and the officials privy to Polavaram project to issue an official statement stating that there is no burden on the State exchequer on Polavaram expenditure and the Centre will bear the entire cost of the national project as per the approval given by the Technical Advisory Committee at 2017-18 price level.
In response to KVP’s letter to the Chief Minister on Saturday, the State Water Resources Department officials said it was a standard practice of the Technical Advisory Committee to approve the revised cost estimates at current price levels and maintained that the Centre will bear the entire cost of the project. Reacting to the State government’s claim, the Congress leader dared the government for an open debate on the issue. He said he is ready to take back his claims if the State government officially issues a statement with facts and figures attesting that the entire cost will be borne by the Centre.
He pointed out the reply of the Union Minister of Water Resources in the Rajya Sabha on April 10, 2017 to his question as to who will bear the cost of escalations of the project beyond April 1, 2014. “The cost escalations of irrigation component of the project over and the above estimated cost at price level of April 2014 is to be borne by the State government,” KVP said quoting the Union minister.
He said the Cabinet approval given on March 15, 2017, also states that the Centre will provide the funds to the extent of the cost of irrigation component of Polavaram project as on April 1, 2014, only. “Thus the State is burdened with cost escalations and this was happened only due to the State taking the responsibility of the construction of the project against the provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act,” he said.
KVP also lashed out at TDP leaders including Minister Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao for their “knee-jerk reaction” to his letter to the Chief Minister on Polavaram project and wondered why they are reacting like dogs, whose tails have been stepped upon, without going through the entire content of the letter.
“If what I am saying is false, let them come out with facts and figures, instead of reacting in an unparliamentary language,” he said and reminded the TDP leaders that since 2004, he was involved in getting the needed permissions for the project. He also pointed out that if not for YS Rajasekhara Reddy completing the right main canal, Godavari-Krishna interlinking would not have materialised for the TDP to claim the credit.
The MP, explaining the role of Congress government in the project and his own legal battle for ensuring that cost of the project is not passed on to the State and its national project status is maintained, asked when did Naidu visit Polavaram between 1995 and 2004. He pointed out that the TDP leaders have approached court during Polavaram canal works and resorted to agitations for stopping the widening of Pothireddypadu Head Regulator.